You may never go back to your usual sugar cookie recipe after tasting these ones. Stuffed with Nutella and sprinkled with sea salt. Heavenly!
Nutella & Sea Salt Stuffed Sugar Cookie Recipe
After making the first batch of Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt last year, my family (kids, grandparents and brother-in-law included) immediately determined it was a must-have for each Christmas, to be served alongside my husband’s great-grandmother’s spritz butter cookies and my dad’s irresistible ginger cookies. Yeah, okay…twist my arm. That fudge set off a cascade of gooey chocolate and hazelnut baking in our house, from Chewy Nutella & Oatmeal Bars to Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Blondies. It was only a matter of time before the Nutella weaseled its way into the center of my favorite sugar cookie recipe (typically made with crumbled Heath Bars).
When making drop cookies, I like to be fairly precise about the size of each cookie so that they cook as evenly as possible. No loosey-goosey dropping from a spoon in this elf’s kitchen. For years, I have used cookie scoops to dole out an equal amount of batter. It makes the process of doling out the dough go quickly and the scoops are fun for little hands to use, too. You can use the small scoops for bite-sized cookies, medium scoops for your average sized treats and large scoops for those gargantuan cookies like what you may see in your favorite bakery.
Of course, if you decide to make bite-sized cookies, that means you get to eat a minimum of three cookies. Santa’s rule. I swear on Rudolph’s shiny red nose. It’s a good thing this rule exists because it is virtually impossible to eat only one of these cookies.
The Nutella sugar cookie recipe:
Using a 1 teaspoon measure, scoop out Nutella and place in small mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer set on medium speed until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract.
Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture a few times to make sure all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use 2 tablespoons cookie dough for each cookie. Split the piece of dough in half and slightly flatten the bottom half. Sprinkle 5 or 6 grains of sea salt on the dough. Use a small metal spatula to lift the mounds of Nutella from the baking sheet and lay on the bottom half of cookie dough, on top of the salt. If the Nutella starts to soften, place back in the freezer for a few minutes.
Cover with the other piece of cookie dough. Seal the edges with your fingers. Roll the ball in the sugar to coat it and place it on a prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies, one sheet a time, rotating from front to back halfway through baking. They are done when the edges are set and beginning to brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
The centers of the cookies should still be soft and puffy. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a rack. Serve.
Other desserts with Nutella:
Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt
Chewy Nutella & Oatmeal Bars
Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Blondies
Nutella & Sea Salt Stuffed Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar divided
- 14 tablespoons 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons sea salt
Instructions
- Using a 1 teaspoon measure, scoop out Nutella and place in small mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and 1½ cups granulated sugar with an electric mixer set on medium speed until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture a few times to make sure all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Place ⅓ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use 2 tablespoons cookie dough for each cookie. Split the piece of dough in half and slightly flatten the bottom half.
- Sprinkle 5 or 6 grains of sea salt on the flattened dough.
- Use a small metal spatula to lift the mounds of Nutella from the baking sheet and lay on the bottom half of cookie dough, on top of the salt. If the Nutella starts to soften, place back in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Cover Nutella with the other piece of cookie dough. Seal the edges with your fingers. Roll the ball in the sugar to coat it and place it on a prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and Nutella mounds, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet a time, rotating from front to back halfway through baking. They are done when the edges are set and beginning to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. The centers of the cookies should still be soft and puffy.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a rack. They can also be served warm.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by OXO and they provided me with OXO products for my personal use and the giveaway. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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Jessica G
I just wanted to say thank you. This is the best cookie recipe I have in my rotation. I have used it so many times. It is a favorite of myself, my husband and all of our kids. They never last long when they’re made, whether we just keep them at home or take them to a get together!
Sandra
Thank you so very much for this recipe!
I have made it many times and each time I come back with great reviews.
It is a simple cookie and I am pretty sure this is one of my favourite cookies for 2013.
Love your step-by-step instructions and pictures.
🙂
Susan (Oliepants)
This was a great way to make a simple sugar cookie that much more divine!! Nutella makes everything better.
http://oliepants.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/nutella-stuffed-sugar-cookies/
Chelle
It is sea salt right? Because it looks like Kosher salt in the picture.
Arael
I’ve made these cookies SEVERAL times, they always turn out fabulous and are gobbled right up! I made them over the summer for a 4th of July party and rolled some in red sugar, some in blue sugar and some in regular white sugar and then lined them up on a platter – very cute and soooo yummy!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
What a fun idea, Arael! I’m so glad you enjoy the cookies.
Ale
Thank you for this recipe. Sounds wonderful! I cannot seem to find at what temperature to bake these at. Could you let me know. Thanks!!!
Deandra
This is such a great idea- coming from a girl who would scoop tablespoons of nutella before going to bed, it only makes sense that this should be baked really really soon in my kitchen. Thank you!!
Jane
I had leftover Hazelnut Chocolate Spread to use up that I’d bought for a special-crepe-making occasion; it’s not an item I normally buy, and it’s far too expensive to waste! I happened upon your website and decided to give this recipe a whirl . . . yowza! A satisfying sweet fix, to be sure — I’ll place it on my “bake occasionally” list as they’re a little too divine.
Mehrnaz
PLEASE HELP!!!!
I just made these cookies and my dough was way too SICKY and i couldn’t split it in half to put the nutella in. I have tripled checked the recipe and I have done everything precisely as stated. What could have went wrong?
Thanks,
Mehrnaz
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Mehrnaz, I have to be honest that I have no idea what went wrong. I haven’t had that issue, nor has anyone else reported having this issue. The dough is a pretty standard sugar cookie recipe and shouldn’t produce those results. The only thing I can think of is that you may have added too much or too little of one of the ingredients.
CherylK
Brilliant! Nutella in anything is tops in my book but inside a cookie? Well…all I can say is “Oh yeah!”
By the way, I have that pretty green “Good Cookie” spatula and I just love it.
Annie @ Annie's Cooking Lab
I made these cookies this morning and they’re SO good! The only change I made was to use Biscoff Spread instead of Nutella. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Madison
Made them for Valentines Day with pink and red sugar!! SUPER cute and yummy!!!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Madison, what a fun idea! I’m really glad you enjoyed the cookies.